


The Heirs of Durin and Their Habit of Losing Important Things

by Bofur1



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Curiosity, Gen, Pony Watching, oh no, thief!Kíli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-23 22:37:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/931882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I wonder where he keeps it. Maybe we could just—”<br/>“Kee, I know what you’re thinking, and I won’t go along with it!” Fíli hissed. “We’re not going to steal from Uncle Thorin!”<br/>“It wouldn’t be stealing!” Kíli protested. “Just looking.”<br/>“Here’s an idea,” Fíli declared. “Maybe he won’t let us look because we’ve never asked.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heirs of Durin and Their Habit of Losing Important Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ImGaladriel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImGaladriel/gifts).



“Fee. Fíli!”

Fíli started, and shook his head out of muddled dreams. The warmth of the sun mingled with the cool breeze on his face had caused him to doze off as the Company rode through the grassy hills.

“What, what is it?” Fíli asked, staring around with bleary eyes.

“You were about to fall off your pony.”

“Oh. Thanks,” Fíli yawned, stretching slowly.

Kíli was silent a moment, and then he leaned over and whispered, “Why do you think Uncle Thorin never lets us hold that key?”

 “What key, Kíli?”

His brother huffed in exasperation. “The key Great-Uncle Thráin gave him, of course! Why won’t he let us hold it?”

Fíli shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Kíli obviously was not satisfied with Fíli’s answer. He frowned thoughtfully. “I wonder where he keeps it. Maybe we could just—”

“Kee, I know what you’re thinking, and I won’t go along with it!” Fíli hissed. “We’re not going to steal from Uncle Thorin!”

“It wouldn’t be stealing!” Kíli protested. “Just looking.”

“Here’s an idea,” Fíli declared. “Maybe he won’t let us look because _we’ve never asked_.”

Kíli paused, and then dug his heels into his pony’s sides. Fíli watched with an expression of utter disapproval as his little brother caught up to Thorin.

“Uncle, where’s that key Great-Uncle Thráin gave you?”

“In my pack,” Thorin answered warily. “Why?”

“Could I see it?”

“No, Kíli.”

“See, I told you,” Kíli sulked as he slowed so Fíli could catch up.

“That’s probably just as well,” Fíli replied. “Just forget about it.”

Kíli pressed his lips together and said nothing. Fíli decided with mild surprise that perhaps once in his life Kíli actually was doing as he said. He himself forgot about the ordeal until later that night Kíli strolled up next to him.

“Looking at the ponies is real boring, isn’t it?” Kíli sighed.

“Yeah,” Fíli agreed, puffing listlessly on his pipe as he sat on a rock.

“Then let’s look at this,” Kíli suggested deviously, and dramatically revealed the contents of his hand. Fíli gasped, and choked on the pipe-smoke he inhaled.

“Kíli! What...how—?!” he sputtered, aghast as he gaped at the key resting on Kíli’s palm.

“Uncle Thorin told me where it was, remember?”

“We need to put it back! If he sees it’s missing, we’ll be in _so_ much trouble!” Fíli leapt to his feet and snuffed his pipe, jamming it into his coat pocket. “C’mon!”

“Why?” Kíli whined. “All we’re doing is looking at it!”

“Mahal’s beard,” Fíli blasphemed viciously. “ _Kibilcirth!_ ”

“Fine, fine,” grumbled his brother. He lifted the key to his eyes, peering at it closely. “What do you suppose these runes mean? They’re not modern Khuzdûl, I can’t read them. Do you think Bifur would know? He speaks old Khuzdûl well enough—”

“Kíli,” Fíli said through gritted teeth. “Bifur doesn’t know how to read. Now take it back, or I’ll tell Uncle!”

“I’m going,” Kíli sighed, and began picking his way through the bramble back toward the others. At that moment, he tripped and fell hard. Being of strong youth he wasn’t hurt, but he was definitely in trouble.

“What?” Fíli stood and peered after him. When he saw his brother on his hands and knees, patting the forest floor, his heart nearly stopped. “Oh, no. You didn’t.”

“It...It slipped out of my hand when I fell,” Kíli gasped, in a panic. “Help me!”

They knew they must look a sight, crawling about, shooing away spider webs so they could stick their heads into cracks and crevices. But, right now, they didn’t care. The livelihood of the Quest depended on that key!

Fíli pressed his cheek against the ground and squinted into a tiny crack beneath a fallen log. There he saw a faint glittering object that had slid inside.

“Kee, I found it!” Carefully he slipped his hand inside and snatched up the key.

“Oh, thank Mahal,” Kíli panted. The brothers came back together, and Fíli showed the key to Kíli.

Fíli cast a glance around, and then noticed something else. “Uh...Kíli, where’re Daisy and Bungo?”

**Author's Note:**

> Khuzdûl:  
> (Kíli's Dwarven name) Kibilcirth = Silver Rune


End file.
